Plant Chicago

Name

Plant Chicago

Legal name

Plant Chicago

Website

https://plantchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sustainability Programs

NAICS

Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Food Crops Grown Under Cover (11141), Landscaping Services (561730), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Garden Bed Installation & Planting (Annuals, Perennials, Shrubs) (HSAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Horticulture, Nursery & Greenhouse Operations (EDAOAOAB)

Keywords

• Circular economy programs
• Community composting services
• Urban agriculture education
• Small business sustainability consulting
• Food scrap drop-off

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Plant Chicago is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that raises funds from individual donors, foundation grants, and corporate sponsors. Donation campaigns support general operations and specific initiatives such as the Firehouse Renovation 'BRICK' campaign. Donors contributing $500 or more can have their name memorialized on an interior glazed brick of the firehouse.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Funding received from public sources including the City of Chicago's Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, State of Illinois, Climate Infrastructure Fund, and private foundations including Builders Initiative, The Chicago Community Trust, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, and Food:Land:Opportunity. These funds support the Firehouse renovation project and programmatic operations.
3. Program Fees and Market Revenue: Revenue generated from programmatic activities including farmers market operations and the Local Food Box subscription program. Farmers markets generate tens of thousands of dollars in revenue for small farmers and other small businesses. The organization also offers sliding-scale and Link matching for food purchases.
4. Service Fees (EV Charging): Revenue generated from two publicly available electric vehicle chargers on-site at The Firehouse, operated through the EVMatch peer-to-peer charging network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Plant Chicago is a nonprofit organization that operates a portfolio of community programs in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood aimed at building local circular economies. Its offerings include a free food scrap drop-off/composting service, a Local Food Box subscription with sliding-scale and Link matching, indoor farming and shared mycology lab space, farmers markets, education workshops, EV charging, and small-business circular economy consulting via the Circular Economy Leaders Network and CE Toolkit.

Product overview

Plant Chicago operates as a non-profit organization focused on cultivating local circular economies through a portfolio of interconnected programs and facilities. The core offerings include the Circular Economy Leaders Network (supporting over 30 small businesses), the Indoor Victory Garden (shared indoor farming space), farmers markets (Mercado de Intercambio), food access programs (Local Food Box with Link matching), food scrap composting services, education workshops, EV charging infrastructure, and a shared mycology laboratory. These programs are housed at The Firehouse, a historic 1908 firehouse that serves as the organization's headquarters and community hub, with renovations underway to improve accessibility and environmental performance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Circular Economy Leaders Network A network of over 30 small businesses across Chicagoland (farmers, restaurants, textiles, body products) participating in circular economy practices, peer learning, resource sharing, and economic impact measurement using Plant Chicago's CE Toolkit for Small Business.
• Indoor Victory Garden (IVG) A shared-use indoor farm in The Firehouse's North Garage addition providing Chicago residents and entrepreneurs with space and equipment to grow food year-round for personal or commercial use.
• Mercado de Intercambio / Farmers Market Year-round community farmers markets at Davis Square Park, The Firehouse, and local South Side churches/community centers offering locally and sustainably produced food, produce swaps, and revenue opportunities for small farmers and businesses.
• Local Food Box / Link Matching Program A monthly subscription food access program providing locally and sustainably produced food on a sliding scale with Link (SNAP) matching for low-income households.
• Small Business Support / CE Toolkit for Small Business Consulting and open-source toolkit services for Chicagoland small businesses transitioning to circular practices, including waste audits, impact measurement frameworks, and peer learning.
• Food Scrap Drop-Off / Composting Free community food scrap drop-off service diverting organic material from landfills through partnerships, vermicomposting, and composting methods.
• Education Programs and Workshops Free hands-on STEM education programs for school groups and ticketed workshops for community members on aquaponics, mycology, waste auditing, anaerobic digestion, and circular economy principles.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Two publicly available EV charging stations at The Firehouse, the first publicly available EV charging on Chicago's Southwest Side, operated through the EVMatch peer-to-peer network on a usage-based pay-as-you-go basis.
• Shared Mycology Lab A 2-room laboratory space equipped with autoclave, flow hood, and incubator for mycelial culture, available for startup and established mushroom cultivation companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 7 tons of material diverted from landfills annually through food scrap drop-off
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EVMatchcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2021Female-led technology company operating a peer-to-peer EV charging network. Plant Chicago joined their nationwide network in May 2021 and hosts two public EV chargers operated through the EVMatch platform and app.
• Community Charging InitiativeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Led by Vanessa Perkins, this organization works to expand equitable EV charging access. Spearheaded efforts to bring EV charging to Plant Chicago and the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
• AMB Renewable EnergyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2021Southside Black-owned business providing clean energy products and service consulting. Oversaw the installation of EV chargers at The Firehouse. Offers clean energy products and services to underserved communities while supporting Clean Energy Jobs Act and Future Energy Jobs Act implementation.
• Loyola University Chicago (Loyola University Chicago Engineering Students)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaboration with Loyola University Chicago engineering students (Anna Zachary, Valentine Geze, Brooke McDonald) who designed a custom anaerobic digester for Plant Chicago as a capstone project. Students presented at the Illinois Water Environment Association Student Design Competition and won first place. Loyola's Biodiesel Lab also collaborates on waste-to-energy research.
• Toro Construction Corp.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral contractor for The Firehouse renovation. Supported the 'deconstruction' ceremony by unmounting drywall for reuse. Performing construction and renovation work on the 1908 firehouse.
• We Build AgencyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of the renovation project team for The Firehouse, providing project support services.
• Naturally Urban EnvironmentalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of the renovation project team for The Firehouse, providing environmental consulting.
• Najera Consulting GroupminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFacilitated Plant Chicago's 2026-29 strategic planning process in partnership with the Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) composed of staff and board representatives.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation (CE 100 Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant Chicago is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's CE 100 network, working with companies and municipal government representatives to build a circular economy toolkit for small businesses. The membership aligns Plant Chicago with global circular economy standards and best practices.
• Illinois Environmental CouncilminorOthersOrganizational membership. The Illinois Environmental Council works to advance environmental policy and education in Illinois.
• Illinois Food Scrap Working GroupminorOthersCoalition membership focused on food waste diversion and composting in Illinois. Plant Chicago's food scrap drop-off model was an inspiration for a larger city-wide program.
• EarthShareminorOthersPlant Chicago is a nonprofit partner of EarthShare, which enables workplace giving programs for environmental nonprofits.
• Illinois CompostsminorOthersOrganizational membership. Illinois Composts promotes composting and organic waste diversion across Illinois.
• Rebuilding ExchangeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlant Chicago purchased a salvaged glass door from the Rebuilding Exchange for reuse in the firehouse renovation, exemplifying circular economy procurement practices.
• Stockyards Brick & TimberminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPlant Chicago sourced a salvaged cornice from Stockyards Brick & Timber for reuse in the firehouse renovation, supporting local salvage and reuse businesses.
• Czubin IndustriesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSalvaged and removed two steel overhead doors from The Firehouse (each weighing close to 1,000 pounds) for reuse at another building, exemplifying the organization's waste diversion and circular economy values.
• Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT Stuart School of Business and IIT Institute of Design)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCircular Economy Advisory Committee members including Dr. Weslynne Ashton (IIT Stuart School of Business) and Carlos Texeira (IIT Institute of Design) co-created frameworks and models for multi-level infrastructural interventions to enable circular economy at the city level. Research published in MDPI Sustainability journal.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Andre Nogueira (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) served on the Circular Economy Advisory Committee and co-authored research on infrastructuring the circular economy published in MDPI Sustainability journal.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Plant (Bubbly Dynamics): Bubbly Dynamics operates The Plant, the original Chicago circular-economy food-business incubator that Plant Chicago was founded to support. Direct mission and geographic overlap, and Plant Chicago explicitly transferred its tour program to Bubbly Dynamics in 2018.
• Urban Growers Collective: Chicago-based nonprofit operating urban farms, aquaponics, and food access programs on the South and West Sides. Closely comparable in urban agriculture, food justice, and education programming in the same metro.
• Green City Market: Chicago nonprofit running year-round farmers markets that connect local farmers with urban consumers. Directly comparable farmers-market operations and local-food-access mission to Plant Chicago's Mercado de Intercambio.
• Soul Fire Farm: Upstate New York BIPOC-led farm and education center focused on food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture training, and community food access. Comparable nonprofit model, education programming, and food-justice focus.
• Detroit Black Community Food Security Network: Detroit nonprofit operating urban farms, food co-ops, and food sovereignty programs in an underinvested urban community. Directly comparable model combining urban agriculture, food access, and equity-led community development.
• Rebuilding Exchange: Chicago nonprofit that salvages and resells building materials to support job training and circular construction. Direct peer in Chicago circular-economy infrastructure and an active Plant Chicago partner through salvaged materials procurement.
• FRESH Farm Markets: Washington DC-area nonprofit operating producer-only farmers markets and food access programs including matching incentives. Highly comparable farmers-market and food-incentive model to Plant Chicago's Local Food Box program.

Emerging players

• Advocates for Urban Agriculture: Chicago-area coalition advancing urban agriculture policy, education, and grower support. Comparable mission overlap with Plant Chicago's small-business and community-growing programs, though focused on advocacy rather than direct food production.

Regional players

• Growing Power (Milwaukee): Legacy Milwaukee-based urban agriculture nonprofit that pioneered aquaponics and year-round indoor growing for community food systems. Comparable urban-farming and education model in the broader Midwest; historically influential on Plant Chicago's approach.

Broad incumbents

• Closed Loop Partners: New York-based circular economy investment firm and ecosystem builder with adjacent focus on circular supply chains, infrastructure, and consumer goods. Comparable broader circular-economy mandate though operating as an investor/platform rather than a community nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/plantchicagonotforprofit
• Instagraminstagram.com/plantchicagonfp
• TikToktiktok.com/@plantchicagonfp
• Xx.com/plantchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plant Chicago